The 13 Ounce Rule; all about shipping

Domestic (USA) shipping options for strings and non-book items: When you place an order for printed matter or CDs, your merchandise is within the “media mail” category and shipping is very reasonable for any weight. Anything that is not a book or CD isn’t considered media mail, and is eligible for just about any type of carrier besides USPS media mail. (Media mail used to be known as book rate). If you are ordering one or more books and then you add one string or one felt pick, your package becomes a combination order and is ineligible for media mail. To keep shipping more reasonable in some cases, you might consider placing two orders, one with just books (media mail), and one with non-books. It all depends on the total weight and content of your package. Sometimes Priority Mail is a good choice for combination orders weighing around one pound. The 13 ounce rule: If your order of combined media and non-media items doesn’t go over 13 ounces it can be shipped first class USPS. Items weighing less than one ounce to 13 ounces can be shipped first class, and the fee increases with each ounce. If you notice your shipping has gone up significantly, it is likely because your combined book and non-book items have gone over 13 ounces, shifting you into the Priority Mail Category. This can become quite costly when your package gets up into the 4-5 pound area.

It can be a little confusing….. but we must stay within the regulations of the USPS (United States Postal Service).

UPS (United Parcel Service – the brown truck) is the other carrier we use. It is generally more expensive, but tracking and insurance are very good. Some heavier items can only go UPS. And some of our customers request it exclusively. We don’t recommend UPS for Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and beyond because of the brokerage fee that is usually in the area of $25.